Ammunition.



F. M. HALE.

AMMUNITION. APPLICATION FILED MAYI5, 1914.

1, 14:1 ,540. Patented June 1, 1915.

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F. M. HALE.

AMMUNITION.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, I914.

Patented June 1, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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AMMUNiTION.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, 1914.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3- Patented June 1, 1915.

FREDERICK nearer: HALE, or nnomLi-iv, ENGLAND.

AMMUNITIQN.

Specification of Letters B atant Patented'June 1, 19 15.

Application filed May 15, 1914. Serial No. 838,732.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK MAR'I'EN HALE, a subject of the King of. Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of Bromlcy, in the county of Kent,'England, have invented certain new' a-nd useful Improvements in and Pertaining to Ammunition, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to shells or similar bodies (hereinafter referred to as shells) intended to be dropped or discharged from air-craft, and particularly to such shells provided with means intended not only to render the shell safe by preventing it from exploding before it has reached a safe distance from the air-craft, but also to insure certainty of explosion on impact b securing that the part of the shell that s ould impinge againstan object in order to produce the explosion of .the shell will impinge upon the object struck.

Now according thereto a shell of the kind referred to, provided with a wind-"zine device rotatable by the air during the flight of the shell and adapted when the shell has traveled a predetermined distance from the air-craft to arm the shell, isso constructed that after the shell has'been so armed the wind-vane device becomes fixed in relation to the body of the shell and is thereby caused to exercise a controlling effect on the attitude of the shell during its flight.

According to one construction included within this invention, a shell of the kind referred to is constructed with arming mechanism such as is described in the specification of my British Patent 26764 of 1911--that is to say, there is mounted on the rear portion of the body of the shell, a .fan or Wind-vane device which is adapted to be rotated by the action of the air during the flight of the shell and, when the shell has traveled to a safe distance, to be thereby caused to arm the shelland in addition the fan device of this mechanism is adapted, when it has armed the shell, to be caused to become fixed in relation to the body of the shell and then to have. under the action of the air, a controlling effect on the attitude of the shell such as to cause the portion of the shell that should strike the object in order to produce the explosion of the shell on impact, to be the foremost portion of the shell.

According to a modification for the purpose of preservingthe shell in its correct attitude during fl1ght=from the moment of discharge from the air-craft, helically arranged attitude-controlling wind-vanes are fixed-on the rear portion of the body of the shell, and, for releasing a movable firin element after-the shell has traveled a pre etermined. distance from the air-craft, a releasing wind-vane devi ce adapted to be rotated by-the action. of the air during the flight of the projectile is also mounted on the shell. This releasing Wind-vane device is adapted to become fixed in relation to the body of the 'shell afterit has released the movable firing element in order to take part in exercising control on the attitude of the shell. In the case of this modification, in order to cause the releasing wind-vane device to operate more quickly, its vanes are arranged so as to cause its rotationto be in the direction opposite to that of the body of the shell produced by the vanes afiixed thereto. 7 I

According to another modification the rotatable wind-vane device is further'adapted to be normally locked so as to be prevented from rotating but is adapted to be automatically unlocked, and so'allowed to rotate, by the passage of the shell through the air.

The various featuresof the invention are hereinafter set out in the claims appended hereto and-the invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1 and 2 are crosssectional and end views respectively of an example of a shell which is of the-shrapnel type and of the above mentioned construction- Figs. 3 and 4 are views in cross-section and in elevation respectively of part ofan example of a shell. according to the above mentioned modification, and Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of part of an example of a shell according to the above mentioned further modification.

In the example shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the body portion 1 of the shell comprises a suitably shaped casing which contains the explosive and shrapnel charged and has attached to it a tail-piece 2. he movable detonator 3 is normally retained within the tail-piece 2 by means of the balls 4 which project through holes in the. extension 5 ofv spindle 6, \Vhen the spindle 6 is withdrawn in the inabner hereinafterrdescribedithe balls 4, being no longer prevented from moving inward, will not offer any appreciable resistance to forward movement ofthe detonator 3, against the action of the spring 7, under the action of inertia on impactof the shell. The detonator?) is thus free to impinge on the striking pin 8 and therefore to explode, and so to explode themain explo sive charge on impact of the shell.

A spring catch 9 is provideddor preventing'a rebound of the detonator-wihen once it has moved forward against the firing-pin so that its explosion withinthe body/of the shell in proximity" tosthe main explosive charge is insured. 1 l

For the purpose of withdrawing the releasing spindle 6 after the required period has elapsed afterthe discharge of the shell from the air-craft, the spindle 6 has a screwthread connection with the tail-piece 2 and is adapted to be rotated and so withdrawn, by means of wind-vanes 1O helically arranged on a sleeve 11, one end of which engages in a corresponding recess inthe rear end of thetail-piece 2 and is rotatably held therein by the steel pins 14. v

The outer end of the releasing spindle 6 .is adapted to slide within the sleeve 11 and is connected therewithby a-pin 12 which projects from the sleeve 11 into a longitudinal slot 13 in the releasingspindle 6, which is thereby adapted to be rotated by the windvanes and so caused, .owing to its screwthread connection with'the tail-piece 2, to move longitudinally within the sleeve 11 as far as it is permittedby thepin 12 and slot 13.

It will be obvious that when the spindle 6 has been withdrawn. sufficiently for the inner end of the slot13- to engage with the pin 12 further rotation of the sleeve 11 is prevented and therefore the Wind-vane de vice is held stationary with regard to the body of the shell and so is enabled to exercise a controlling. effect on the attitude of theshell and. thus to preserve steadiness in the flight of the shell.

A handle 15 is attached to the sleeve 11,

- and a safety pin 16, adapted. to be Withdrawn by hand before the shell is discharged, is provided for preventing accidental rotation of the wind-vane device before discharge.

In use the safety pin 16 is-first removed and the shell then dropped, or otherwise discharged, from the air-craft. The wind-vane device is rotated by the passage of the shell through the air and after a predetermined distance has been traversed by the shell the releasing spindle 6 becomes withdrawn sutliciently to release the detonator 3. The sleeve 11 carrying the wind-vanes 10 has then become locked by the engagement of the ,end of the S10E13 --witii..., the pin 12 and the flight of the shell is: accordingly controlled and steadied by the vanes. On impact of the projectile, the detonator- 3 moves forward, owing to its inertia, against the action of the spring 7, and impinges on the striking pin 8 and thus explodes the main charge of the shell.

In the example shown partially in Figs. 3 anda, the portion of which not shown is similar to the corresponding portion of the example shown in Figs. 1 and. '2, the tailpiece 2 has permanently fixed thereon three helical vanes 17, which cause rotation of the body of the shell during flight and tend to preserve it in :its correct attitude during flight from thermoment of its discharge from the air-craft. On the end of the tail-piece 2 in rear of the vanes 17 is mounted a releasing wind-vane device comprising the vanes 18 which are helically mounted on a boss 19 connected to a sleeve 20 by a pin 21. The sleeve 20 is rotatably mounted in the tail-piece 2 by means of the pins 14 and at its inner end has a screw-thread connection with the releasing spindle 6 which is prevented from turning by the engagement in a slot 22 therein of a pin 23.- The inclination of the vanes 18 is, in the example shown,

opposite to that of the vanes 17, but it will be obvious thatthey-may, if desired, be inclined in the same direction as the vanes 17, but in any case of course theitwo sets of vanes musthave pitches such as to produce the required differential rotational movement. of the body of the projectile and the wind-vane device.

It will be. seen that when the safety pin 16 (which normally prevents rotation of the releasing wind-vane device) has been removed, and the shell is discharged from the air craft, the attitude of the shell is controlled by the vanes 17, while the releasing windvane device is at the same time rotated in a direction opposite tothat of the shell, and will, after the shell has traveled a predetermined distance through the air, withdraw the releasing spindle 6 so as to release the detonator.

The example shown in Fig. 5 is similar to that shown in Figs. 3 and 4, but the releas ing wind-vane device is adapted to be normally locked and so prevented from rotating. but to be automatically unlocked, and so allowed to rotate, by the passage ofthe shell throughthe air. For this purpose the boss 19 is provided with a slot 25 for the engagement ofthe pin 21 and is thus enabled to slide longitudinally on the sleeve 20. in the end of the tail-piece 2 is fixed a pin 21 which is adapted to engage in a corresponding hole in the'boss 19 and so prevent rotation ot'the releasing wind-vane device. The boss 19 is normally pressed against the end of the tail piece 2 by the spring 26 which engages with shoulders on the boss 19 and on the plug 27 screwed into the sleeve 20. In order to cause the boss 19 to be moved sufiiciently far away from the tail-piece 2 for it to clear the pin 24 when the shell is in flight, the upper part of the external surface of the boss 19 is inclined so as to present a surface such that the pressure of the air upon it produced by the forward movement of the shell will be sufficient to overcome the resistance of the spring 26 and move the boss 19 back far enough to clear the pin 24-.

The safety in 16 adapted to be withdrawn by hand before the discharge of the projectile from the air-craft may be omitted if desired.

The example shown in Figs. 1 and 2 may obviously be modified to act in a manner similar to that of the example shown in Fig. 5, by providing a pin on the end of the tail-piece 2 and adapting the sleeve 11 to be moved longitudinally against the action of a spring by the pressure of the air on an inclined surface thereon.

In the examples shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and in Fig. 5 the length of the slot 22 in the releasing spindle 6 is made less than the longitudinal movement of the spindle 6 which is necessary to disengage it from the sleeve 20, so that the releasing wind-vane device is caused to become fixed in relation to the body of the shell after withdrawing the spindle 6.

In the example shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and in Fig. 5 the releasing wind-vane device is provided with four vanes so as to render it impossible for all its vanes to take up positions exactly in line with the fixed vanes 17 on the body of the projectile.

If, in any of the examples described, the bursting charge is of trinitrotoluol or other explosive similarly inert, not only will no explosion of the shell be produced by the violent fall of the air-craft to the grbund since it can only be fired by its 'detonator and when the latter has been released by the requisite rotation of the wind-vane device, but also, owing to the normal location of the detonator 3 in the tail-piece 2 and so as not to be surrounded by the explosive charge to be fired thereby, the shell is not liable to be exploded when in the magazine of the aircraft by the explosion of the detona'tor by the impact of a bullet or other projectile.

Shells of the shrapnel type such as hereinbefore described and illustrated are intended mainly for attacking trenches, camps, and an enemy in the field, but shells according to this invention may obviously be of any other typefor example, they may be of the allhigh-explosive-type which is designed for dropping on warships and fortified positions where structural damage is the first consideration.

Obviously modifications other than those hereinbefore described may be made Without departing from the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A shell adapted to be discharged from air-craft comprising a rotatable wind-vane arming device mounted on the rear portion of the body of the shell and adapted by its rotation in relation to said body to arm the shell, and means adapted to prevent further rotation of said device in relation to said body after the shell has become armed themby.

2. A shell adapted to be discharged from air -craft comprising helically arranged wind-vanes fixed on the rear portion of the body of the shell, a rotatable Wind-vane arming device mounted on said rear portion and adapted by its rotation in relation to said body to arm the shell, and means adapted to prevent further rotation of said device in relation to said body after the shell has become armed thereby.

3. A shell adapted to be discharged from air-craft comprising a rotatable Wind-vane arming device mounted on the rear portion of the body of the shell and adapted by its rotation in relation to said body to arm the shell, means adapted to prevent further rotation of said device in relation to said body after the shell has become armed thereby, and means adapted normally to lock said Wind-vane arming device in relation to said body.

4. A shell adapted to be discharged from aircraft comprising helically arranged Wind-vanes fixed on the rear portion of the body of the shell, a rotatable wind-vane arming device mounted on said rear portion and adapted by its rotation in relation to said body to arm the shell, means adapted to prevent further rotation of said device in relation to said body after the shell has become armed thereby, and means adapted normally to lock said wind-vane arming device in relation to said body.

5. A shell adapted to be discharged from air-craft comprising a rotatable wind-vane arming device mounted on the rear portion of the body of the shell and adapted by its rotation in relation to said body to arm the shell, means adapted to prevent further rotation of said device in relation to said body after the shell has become armed thereby, means adapted normally to lock said wind-vane arming device in relation to said body, and means adapted to be caused by the discharge of the shell from the aircraft to unlock said wind-vane arming device.

6. A shell adapted to be discharged from 5 air-craft comprising helically arranged wind-vanes fixed on the rear portion of the body of the shell, a rotatable Wind-vane arming device mounted on said rear portion and adapted by its rotation in relation to said body to arm the shell, means adapted to prevent furtherrotation of said device in relation to said body after the shell has become armed thereby, means adapted normally to lock said wind-vane arming device in relation to said body, and means adapted to be caused by the discharge of the shell from the air-craft to unlock said Wind-vane arming device.

7. A. shell adapted to be discharged from air-craft comprising a rotatable wind-vane arming device mounted on the rear portion of the body of the shell and adapted by its rotation in relation to said body to arm the shell, means adapted to prevent further rotation of said device in relation to said body after the shell has become armed thereby, locking means adapted normally to prevent rotation of said wind-vane device in relation to said rear portion, and means adapted on discharge of the shell from the aircraft automatically to move said Wind-vane device into a position in which it is free from the influence of said locking means and thereby rendered capable of revolution.

8. A shell adapted to be discharged from air-craft comprising helically arranged wind-vanes fixed on the rear portion of the body of the shell, a rotatable wind-vane arming device mounted on said rear portion and adapted by its rotation in relation to said body to arm the shell, means adapted to prevent further rotation of said device in relation to said body after the shell has become armed thereby, locking means adapted normally to prevent rotation of said windwane device in relation to said rear portion. and means adapted on discharge of the shell from the air-craft automatically to move said wind-vane device into a position in which it is free from the influence of said locking means and thereby rendered capable of revolution.

9. A shell adapted to be discharged from air-craft comprisin a fixed firing element, a movable firing eFement Iiormally located away from and in rear of said fixed element but adapted to impinge on said fixed firing element upon impact of the shell, means adapted to maintain said movable firing element in its normal position, said means including a rotatable Wind-vane device mounted on the rear portion of the body of the shell and adapted to release said movable firing element after said \vindvane device has performed a predetermined number of revolutions in relatibii to said rear portion under the aetion of the air during the passage of the shell therethrough, and means adapted to prevent rotation of said wind- 'ane device in relation to said rear portion after it has performed said predetermined number volutions.

10. A shell adapted to be discharged from air-craft comprising a fixed firing element,

a movable firing element normally located away from and in rear of said fixed element but adapted to impinge on said fixed firing element upon impact of the shell, means adapted to maintain said movable firing element in its normal position, said means including a rotatable wind-vane device mounted on the rear portion of the body of the shell and adapted to release said movable firing element after said wind-vane device has performed a predetermined number of revolutions in relation to said rear portion under the action of the air during the passage of the shell therethrough, means adapt ed to prevent rotation of said wind-vane device in relation to said rear portion after it has performed said predetermined number of revolutions, and helically arranged windvanes fixed on said rear portion.

11. A shell adapted to be discharged from air-craft comprising a fixed firing element, a movable firing element normally located away from and in rear of said fixed element but adapted to impinge on said fixed tiring element upon impact of the shell, means adapted to maintain said movable firing ele ment in its normal position, said means including a rotatable Wind-vane device mounted on the rear portion of the body of the shell and adapted to release said movable firing element after said wind-vane device has performed a predetermined number of revolutions in relation to said rear portion under the action of the air during the passage of the shell therethrough, locking means adapted normally to prevent rotation of said wind-vane device in relation to said rear portion, means adapted on discharge of the shell from the air-craft automatically to move said wind-vane device into a position in which it is free from the influence of said locking means and thereby rendered capable of revolution, and means adapted to prevent rotation of said wind-vane device in relation to said rear portion after it has performed said predetermined number of revolutions.

12. A shell adapted to be discharged from aircraft comprising a fixed firing element, a movable firing element normally located away from and in rear of said fixed element but adapted to impinge on said fixed firing element upon impact of the shell, means adapted to maintain said movable firing element in its normal position, said means including a rotatable wind-vane device mounted on the rear portion of the body of the shell and adapted to release said movable firing clement after said wind-vane device has performed a predetermined number of revolutions in relation to said rear portion under the action of the air during the passage of the shell therethrough, locking means adapted norn'ially to prevent rotation of said wind-vane device in relation to said rear portion, means adapted on discharge of the shell from the air-craft automatically to move said Wind-vane device into a position in which it is free from the influence of said locking means and thereby rendered capable of revolution, means adapted to prevent rotation of said Wind-vane device in relation to said rear portion after it has performed said predetermined number of revolutions, and helically arranged Wind-vanes fixed on said rear portion.

13. A shell adapted to be discharged from air-craft comprising a rotatable and axially movable Wind-vane arming device mounted on the rear portion of the body of the shell and adapted by its rotation in relation to said body to arm the shell, means adapted to prevent further rotation of said device in relation to said body after the shell has become armed thereby, adjacent parts of said wind-vane arming device and said rear portion being adapted when in engagement to prevent rotation of said wind-vane arming device in relation to said rear portion but adapted to be disengaged by an axial movement of said wind-vane device, and a spring adapted to hold normally said windvane arming device with said parts in engagement.

14. A shell adapted to be discharged from air-craft comprising helically arranged wind-vanes fixed on the rear portion of the body of the shell, a rotatable and axially movable wind-vane arming device mounted on said rear portion and adapted by its rotation in relation to said body to arm the shell, means adapted to prevent further rotation of said device in relation to said body after the shell has become armed thereby, adjacent parts of said wind-vane arming device and said rear portion being adapted when in engagement to prevent rotation of said wind-vane arming device in relation to said rear portion but adapted to be disengaged by an axial movement of said windiane device, and a spring adapted to hold normally said wind-vane arming device with said parts in engagement.

1?). A shell adapted to be discharged from air-craft comprising a rotatable and axially movable wind-vane arming device mounted on the rear portion of the body of the shell and adapted by its rotation in relation to said body to arm the shell. means adapted to prevent further rotation of said device in relation to said body alter the shell has become armed thereby. adjacent parts of said \vindvane arming device and said rear portion being adapted when in engagement to prevent rotation of said wind-vane arming device in relation to said rear portion but adapted to be disengaged by an axial movement of said wind-vane device a spring adapted to hold normally said wind-vane arming device with said parts in engagement, and an air-resisting surface connected to said wind-vane arming device and adapted to cause, owing to the pressure of the air thereon on discharge of the shell from the air-craft, the aforesaid axial movement of said wind-vane arming device against the action of said spring.

16. A shell adapted to be discharged from air-craft comprising helically arranged wind-vanes fixed on the rear portion of the body of the shell, a rotatable and axially movable wind-vane arming device mounted on said rear portion and adapted by its rotation in relation to said body to arm the shell, means adapted to prevent further rotation of said device in relation to said body after the shell has become armed thereby, adjacent parts of said wind-vane arming device and said rear portion being adapted when in engagement to prevent rotation of said wind-vane arming device in relation to said rear portion but adapted to be disengaged by an axial movement of said Windva-ne device, a spring adapted to hold normally said wind-vane arming device with said parts in engagement, and an air-resist ing surface connected to said wind-vane arming device and adapted to cause, owing to the pressure of the air thereon on discharge of the shell from the air-craft, the aforesaid axial movement of said wind-vane arming device against the action of said spring.

17. A shell adapted to be discharged Irom air-craft comprising helically arranged Wind-vanes fixed on the rear portion of the body of the shell, a rotatable wind-vane arming device mounted on said rear portion and adapted by its rotation in relation to said body to arm the shell, and means adapted to prevent further rotation of said device in relation to said body after the shell has become armed thereby, the vanes of said \vind-vane arming device being inclined in a direction opposite to that of the aforesaid helically arranged wind-vanes.

Signed at London, England, this 5th day of May, 1914.

FREDERICK MARTEN HALE.

\Vitnesses 4 Fmcnx. Hu'rcnnvos, WM. 0. BROWN. 

